Newbie and petrified of towing TT

OP... Can you tell us the year of your Toyota Sequoia ? That will be a big component of our answer. From what I recall there have been two generations of the Sequoya.

1) 1998 ish to 2006 ish - max to rating around 6500 lbs iirc.

2) 2007 ish and up- much better TV

We also need to know the motor you have in your truck and if you have already purchased a WD hitch.

Few things about the trailer.

1) have the brakes inspected and the wheel bearings repacked as needed.
2) Budget to replace the tires. They are likely over two years old. Look at the sidewall of the tires. You should see "load range" followed by a letter (C,D etc) make sure that the replacement tires are at least the same letter if not on letter higher. (If C, then consider going up to D.. )
3) have all exterior trailer lights inspected.

Also plan on purchasing a WD hitch more on that after you answer the truck questions above.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

gmw photos wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
I'm sorry to be the one to disagree with all above. But a scared driver, is a bad driver, and a petrified driver is a worse driver.
Find a place to practice, and get yourself very comfortable with the TT before venturing out on the highway. If by the time you need to travel. You are not comfortable towing. Don't.

Also. IMOP. You need more TV. The older TT are heavier than todays.

I also hate to sound like a wet blanket, but I have agree with Terry. I am not getting the impression "brave and strong". Not trying to make this a personal attack, but what I am hearing is "uninformed and potentially dangerous".

A better tact might be to start out towing with something small, get your feet wet and gain some experience there, then move up.

I'm thinking this is probably going to be over the limits of the Sequoia, so I think the first thing, as always, should be to decide whether you are the kind of person who wants to stay within manufacturer stated limits, or are you going to be one who thinks that you know more about properly matching tow vehicles to trailers than the car manufacturer. Certainly, there are many folks out there that tow trailers beyond the stated limits of the car or truck..... your decision, it's your backside on the line.

Good luck with it all.

X2

I am glad that you recognize that you have reservations about towing.

I don't want to scare you but a 30ft trailer IS a lot of trailer to tow for the first time.

I would recommend that perhaps if you could find someone who has a small landscape/utility trailer (8ft-12ft) that you could "borrow" to gain some towing experience. This way you can get used to having something tagging along behind you.

Find a empty parking lot and practice making turns around the curbs and one of the biggies... backing up.

Having 30ft of trailer you are going to need some practice backing up, often times you will find places like gas stations were you WILL have no choice to backup. Practicing with a shorter landscape/utility trailer will sharpen you skills very quickly since they tend to be a bit harder to backup. This will make backing 30ft of trailer much easier.

Something to think about, with that length you are going to need a "spotter" when pulling into or backing into camping spots.

If you are depending on young children I would be concerned. They may not recognize their own personal danger and you may not see them. You may want to alert the campground management that you might need some help getting your trailer parked safely.

Before you get too far down the "you can do it" road, do some investigating.

1. Look on the driver's side door pillar of your Sequoia for its payload rating. Its probably somewhere around 1300 to 1500 pounds.

2. Have someone tow the trailer to a scale and get it weighed.

I suspect you will be at or over payload ratings. And that will make an unpleasant drive for a novice. Congratulations on getting back into rving, but don't let a challenging towing setup keep you afraid from going out. Then again, maybe the setup is good. But you need to find that out so you know how to move forward.

Very thoughtful post Bedell.

Not long ago I was new to towing and like most, I was nervous. Who wouldn't be. Your doing the right thing by asking questions and educating yourself.

If you post your numbers for your TT and TV, there are many here who can tell you if it's a good/safe match.

Welcome!

I can't speak to the issues of how well your tow vehicle will handle the trailer.
However once you get that all worked out there are some non-technical bits to share. I found the interstate highways were a good way to get some confidence at first: there are no clearance concerns, the rest areas are usually adequate as long as you follow the signs for the correct parking areas(usually with the trucks), having at least two traffic lanes means you are not holding up the other drivers - that can be very nerve-wracking on a local road.
One other issue is getting fuel - be sure you can get out of the pump area before you head in. Start looking for fuel between one-half and one quarter.
We don't have a generator yet. We have always been at full hook-up spots or at least electric and water. We have done the occasional dry-camp at Wal-Mart. I think I would get the driving and towing situation to a confident level before exploring the generator purchase.
A few nights at a full hook-up RV park would be a great learning experience. There are always people there who will be glad to help and offer advice. We have learned so much from other campers.
We were all newbies once.
Enjoy your trailer and stay safe.

Don't leave home without one.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDER3up7I_s

Terryallan wrote:
I'm sorry to be the one to disagree with all above. But a scared driver, is a bad driver, and a petrified driver is a worse driver.
Find a place to practice, and get yourself very comfortable with the TT before venturing out on the highway. If by the time you need to travel. You are not comfortable towing. Don't.

Also. IMOP. You need more TV. The older TT are heavier than todays.

I also hate to sound like a wet blanket, but I have agree with Terry. I am not getting the impression "brave and strong". Not trying to make this a personal attack, but what I am hearing is "uninformed and potentially dangerous".

A better tact might be to start out towing with something small, get your feet wet and gain some experience there, then move up.

I'm thinking this is probably going to be over the limits of the Sequoia, so I think the first thing, as always, should be to decide whether you are the kind of person who wants to stay within manufacturer stated limits, or are you going to be one who thinks that you know more about properly matching tow vehicles to trailers than the car manufacturer. Certainly, there are many folks out there that tow trailers beyond the stated limits of the car or truck..... your decision, it's your backside on the line.

Good luck with it all.

I'm sorry to be the one to disagree with all above. But a scared driver, is a bad driver, and a petrified driver is a worse driver.
Find a place to practice, and get yourself very comfortable with the TT before venturing out on the highway. If by the time you need to travel. You are not comfortable towing. Don't.

Also. IMOP. You need more TV. The older TT are heavier than todays.

I am a 50+ single female who tows a 28 ft TT.

Learn from this forum and any experienced folks around. you may can even find someone on here who is close enough to come walk you through the hook up/level process.

Search you tube.. I have found some good videos that have helped me.. although I have had a TT for several years now, I had to look up how to use my awning.

Do you know someone who is a truck driver? A good friend of mine's hubby is a driver and I had him come to my house and work with me on backing and help me figure out the best angle to approach and back in my drive. He spent several hours with me (even suggesting cutting a small tree that made the backing a challenge)

Don't forget you can get pull-throughs many places. I use them lots because they are so much easier when I am alone. both my kids are adults now, and rarely join me.

Well I agree with Renee. Congrats on confronting this head on and taking charge. With all the advice of taking wide corners. I think the first thing you need (especially with your Toyota which may be a bit small) You will need a REAL GOOD WD hitch with sway control. There are many brands to choose from and many post here with different opinions on each. My point is, you will need SWAY CONTROL and you will need good WD setup.-----Im saying this because the better your hitch setup is, the easier the tow will be.
--Any RV dealer should be able to get your Toyota and hitch setup properly.

You sound brave and strong. I have complete confidence that you CAN do this. The others have offered very good advice for driving. A parking lot is a great place to learn. While you are practicing your turning. Pick out a spot to back in to. and give it a whirl. Keep it up till you succede. Best advice for backing is --- place your hand on the BOTTOM of the steering wheel--if you want your trailer to go left, then move your hand left. It really does work.

Best of luck to ya.